I was in an airport recently, not wanting to eavesdrop, just sitting near the gate waiting to board. I was trying to concentrate on my own work on my own laptop in fact, but these people were loud and completely unconcerned about bothering anybody else. So I heard their conversation.
They were salespeople bragging about what I consider the opposite of good selling—making bad deals for things people didn’t want, selling to people who didn’t want to buy, getting the order regardless. You know the cliche: selling iceboxes in Alaska, etc.
Doesn’t this almost always end up with an unhappy customer? How is this good for business? Why are they proud of it? And, if this is you, why are you proud of it?
(Image: by _gee via flickr cc)
By 
Comments
Perhaps its just a dumb incentive system at the company?
For example: why are some customer service people proud of getting rid of customers?
Tim,
The kind of behavior you describe is the reason so many people, especially in new businesses, find it so difficult to learn how to sell, or find it to be a job they just don’t want to do. Nobody wants to be associated with that kind of image.
It might just be the kind of hormone laden ‘chest thumping’ that some less evolved types like to engage in; and more likely reflects a company with a severe ‘culture’ issue.
I know that whenever I hear that kind of ‘junk’ from somebody in an organization, I’m much more careful about doing business with them. It has to be damaging.
hey Tim
we have a proverb in Poland- “an occasion creates a robbery” but there is a second part to it- yes it does, but only when a criminal is involved
persuasion is a great skill to learn, it is a universal tool,
anyway- it is horrific for Business of course( capital B ), we are talking here about the big picture Business, like Vergin for example
can you recommend me any material about how to create a business plan?
cheers, Martyna Bizdra
🙂